Coop plans, first timer! :)

[Justine86]

Hi guys!
I'm a new chick owner and am planning to build my first chicken coop. My goal is to have 8 chickens. I live in Wisconsin so I'm wondering if I need to insulate the coop?? Also, is there such a thing as finding detailed plans online on how to build a coop? If not, what are your recommendations on finding detailed plans for building a coop with a run? Thanks in advance

 

[PlymouthRockBBredSebright]

Hey Wisconsin Buddy! I'm here too! DEFINITELY insulate! My coop is, and it still can get chilly in there! We made our own plans so I don't have any recommendations on that, sorry. What breeds do you have? I have Barred Plymouth Rocks and Partridge Plymouth Rocks, and 2 bantams.. 12 total. Plymouth Rocks are pretty cold hardy which is nice and they are extremely friendly and funny too!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance

 

[Justine86]

Hey Wisconsin Buddy! I'm here too! DEFINITELY insulate! My coop is, and it still can get chilly in there! We made our own plans so I don't have any recommendations on that, sorry. What breeds do you have? I have Barred Plymouth Rocks and Partridge Plymouth Rocks, and 2 bantams.. 12 total. Plymouth Rocks are pretty cold hardy which is nice and they are extremely friendly and funny too!

Thanks for the quick reply As of now I have 4 buff orpingtons. I am planning to get either Barred Plymouth Rocks or some Wyandottes may I ask how much you spent on your coop? I have been looking at just buying one onloon but I'm having trouble finding any that are insulated.

 

[PlymouthRockBBredSebright]

Building is a little more pricey, (in the thousands for me, ek) but you can buy some decent ones for around $300 or less.... here is a nice one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017MGINB...t=&hvlocphy=9018990&hvtargid=pla-383141610133

 

[BBZZZZTT]

Hey I'm also in Wisconsin!

When I built my coop I was totally new to building anything. I used some free plans from HGTV. It's good, I like the coop, but there are a lot of things wrong with those plans. I'm making a coop for my mom now and I am just building it based on my own imagination!

I insulated the ceiling on mine with a moisture barrier so condensation wouldn't form on the steel roofing. Other than that I didn't insulate the walls, but they are thick composite panels so that provides a slightly better R value than just say wood planks or plywood. But I'm a newbie so maybe I should still add insulation? Hrm. :s
From my understanding, the main points to consider in keeping chickens warm is to minimize drafts while providing a lot of ventilation for moisture to escape the coop.


If you already have your chickens then definitely a prefab online kit would be fastest. However, they are all made of poor materials, not well sealed (or too well; no ventilation), and will probably not stand up to Wisconsin weather for very long.

You can usually find plans online, and definitely browse the coop section of the site here to get an idea of what you want to build. For me, I wanted a walk-in run so I wouldn't have to let them free-range every time I wanted to go hang out with them.

 

[ToniTalley]

Insulation from cold is not needed, they grow plenty of down to keep them warm. It's much more important to make sure the coop is windproof so there are no drafts where they roost, as well as having plenty of ventilation near the roofline to insure there will be no build-up of moisture. In winter, I also windproof the run with plastic panels so they can enjoy some outside time with no rain, snow, or wind bothering them.

 

[Justine86]

Hey I'm also in Wisconsin!

When I built my coop I was totally new to building anything. I used some free plans from HGTV. It's good, I like the coop, but there are a lot of things wrong with those plans. I'm making a coop for my mom now and I am just building it based on my own imagination!

I insulated the ceiling on mine with a moisture barrier so condensation wouldn't form on the steel roofing. Other than that I didn't insulate the walls, but they are thick composite panels so that provides a slightly better R value than just say wood planks or plywood. But I'm a newbie so maybe I should still add insulation? Hrm. :s
From my understanding, the main points to consider in keeping chickens warm is to minimize drafts while providing a lot of ventilation for moisture to escape the coop.


If you already have your chickens then definitely a prefab online kit would be fastest. However, they are all made of poor materials, not well sealed (or too well; no ventilation), and will probably not stand up to Wisconsin weather for very long.

You can usually find plans online, and definitely browse the coop section of the site here to get an idea of what you want to build. For me, I wanted a walk-in run so I wouldn't have to let them free-range every time I wanted to go hang out with them.

View attachment 1329751

Thanks for the information! I was looking at online prefab coops because that would be easier for me but it's difficult to find a durable one.

 

[Justine86]

Insulation from cold is not needed, they grow plenty of down to keep them warm. It's much more important to make sure the coop is windproof so there are no drafts where they roost, as well as having plenty of ventilation near the roofline to insure there will be no build-up of moisture. In winter, I also windproof the run with plastic panels so they can enjoy some outside time with no rain, snow, or wind bothering them.

I live in Wisconsin, are you sure i sondo need insulation?

 

[Alaskan]

I wrote an article on cold weather housing. .. which I think will answer a bunch of your questions.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing.72010/


A couple of my coops I built myself (for zero money and for about 8 bucks) out of found junk, and I am not good at building. Those are my Muscovy coop and my bantam coop... there are links to them under my avatar... or on that cold weather housing page.

Anyway, it isn't too hard to make a predator proof coop for low cost, but you do have to be creative.... and "cute" coops are a bit harder with low skills, but paint, even inexpensive paint from the oops bin, can spruce things up.